BOUND BY THE BILLIONAIRE’S HIDDEN LOVE

CHAPTER 2 - Reminiscence

Crystal’s POV

I remembered clearly the past when I first met him.

After my college graduation, we headed back to our home, where Mom simply cooked our favorite pasta to celebrate my graduation day.

Seeing that my Mom had prepared the table already, my eighteen-year-old brother, me, and my Dad, happily approached the dining table and after a few moments, we had already cleared our plates. Nothing was left of my Mom’s homecooked pasta including the garlic bread and strawberry juice that she prepared.

“Mom, thank you for cooking food to celebrate my graduation day,” I said solemnly as I looked at my Mom with gratitude. What she cooked might not be as good as those in the fancy restaurants, but her initiative to make a good meal after my graduation was enough for me. I was happy about it.

My Mom was an ordinary American, working as a waitress while my Dad was a Spanish office clerk when they met. My Dad’s office was just a few blocks away from the restaurant where my Mom worked at that time. Dad one time dined in at the restaurant where Mom worked, to meet the blind date that his officemate introduced to him. It was actually his birthday too. However, the woman rejected Dad outright, when she learned that he was just an ordinary clerk, and earning just a meager salary per month. She even insulted Dad, which was all heard by my Mom, who was about to serve them their ordered food. Out of pity, my Mom sat on the chair beside my Dad and consoled him. She even got a slice of apple cake, and gave it to Dad as a complementary birthday cake. From then on, Dad always visited the restaurant and courted Mom. Two years later, they became husband and wife.

After eating, I dressed up and ran to catch the bus that would take me to the restaurant where I worked part-time while having my high school classes in the morning. Mom and Dad tried to stop me, but I insisted on going to work, as I knew how busy our restaurant could be on that day.

I took a bus going to the restaurant I worked part-time at.

“Hey, Crystal, congratulations! I heard you graduated from college already!” I heard that loud voice of Danica, as I entered the restaurant. I am sure she congratulated me not to honor me but to mock me. I was true to my thoughts then, when she said again, aloud.

“You finally finished your college. Wow, it is nice to have a nice face and body to sell just to finish, huh!” mockingly, Danica stated, which made my face turn red out of sudden anger. I counted one to ten to suppress my anger and calmed down myself. I did not want to ruin my good day.

I just looked at Danica without uttering any word and passed her by to change for my waitress uniform. But she grabbed my hand and glared at me with contempt.

“Would you not even say thank you, Crystal? I congratulate you.” Danica said with signs of derision dancing in her wicked eyes.

I gave out a forced smile and winked at her, as if happy that she greeted me.

“Thank you, Danica, it was so kind of you to remember my graduation,” I replied to her.

And I thought she would end her insults right there, but she did not. She pulled me and whispered to me, “Slut, even if you graduate from college, you cannot hook our Supervisor.”

With an incredulous look, I eyed her as if seeing her like a clown. “Excuse me? I have no intention of hooking anyone here. I am here to work so that I could pursue my studies.” Then I drastically removed her hand from my arm and walked away.

Hailey, my best friend since my younger years and a cashier in the restaurant, saw what Danica did, and she was so pissed off. “What the hell did that Danica do again? She always mistreats you, Crystal. I guess we need to report her to our Supervisor already.

I shook my head and replied to Hailey, “Let her be Hailey. She likes our Supervisor and might be undergoing some emotional disturbance because he does not want her. I don’t want to add fuel to her fired-up emotion. I would rather work and finish my shift and go.” I smiled at Hailey thereafter.

Hailey took my hands and smiled back at me. “I don’t know if I should admire you for being like that or should I bang your head on the wall, my friend. People like Danica should be dealt with accordingly.”

Hailey unlike me, is a very assertive woman, maybe because she grew up with a spinster, teacher Aunt, who trained her to be that strong and assertive.

I just shook my head again. “Hailey, I don’t want trouble, I don’t want to add more troubles in my life,” I said with finality, and Hailey, could do nothing more but just sigh.

…

Before my shift ended, Dave, our Restaurant Supervisor, who was in his middle twenties, approached me with such a dazzling smile that he usually gives to our female customers.

“Hi, Crystal. Congratulations on graduating from college. Such an achievement should not pass unnoticed by me. Let me treat you to dinner tonight then.” Our Restaurant Supervisor said while looking at me with his puppy-like eyes, trying to mesmerize my spirit to say yes to his invitation this time. He had invited me out for a date a couple of times already, which I consistently rejected, reasoning out that I needed to go home early to study.

But I shook my head and simply smiled at him. “Apology, Sir Dave but I cannot join you for dinner tonight, as I need to go home early. My Mom would cook for us to celebrate.” I reasoned out to him, lying. At the edges of my eyes, I could see Danica looking at us, with an expression of someone ready to pounce with anger at her prey.

I never thought that Sir Dave would be highly offended now. I saw him grit his teeth and turn around from me without even excusing himself. I just shrugged my shoulders and tried to finish my shift. I was tired, and I wanted to lay my back on my bed.

I was about to log out when Sir Dave called me.

“Crystal, I checked your time card and noticed that you came in late for around five minutes today. With that, you will be assigned to clean the whole restaurant tonight!” He said, eyeing me devilishly.

“What? Oh no Sir, I am tired, and I hope you understand that I still came from my graduation rites before coming here, and it was only five minutes late.” I argued, but Sir Dave blatantly told me that if I did not do it, I should not come again tomorrow, as I would be fired then.

“Please take note, Crystal, we have an upcoming wedding celebration in the restaurant. Both the groom and the bride came from a wealthy and well-known clan, so please make sure that nothing happens that will compromise the good reputation of our five-star-rated restaurant.” He said further and left me, unable to utter further words.

Heaving hard with disappointment in my heart, I had no other way but to succumb to my Supervisor’s act of vengeance on me. I know he did it to punish me for not dating him. I cannot lose this job. This is my bread and butter for now. I need this to earn something for my upcoming college of Law enrollment. Besides, I hope it will be considered as overtime work, hence it would be an additional income too.

Everyone had left already except for the guard outside the restaurant. I wanted to fume in madness for being in this kind of situation into but all I could do right now was to follow.

I was about to finish mopping the restaurant when someone barged inside. I furrowed, looking at the man, who came in like a drowse or sick man based on his movements. He seemed weak and even tripped down on the floor. As he did not move anymore, I nervously came near him, astonished to notice that he was sleeping already.

I tried searching for our guard to ask why he allowed someone to come in but could not find him. So, I closed the door and looked at the man, confused. The man was wearing a jacket and trousers, and he was even wearing brown polished leather shoes. He seemed to be a decent man.

“Poor boy,” I sighed, as I checked on his face. I was then flabbergasted when I noticed how handsome his face was. His closed eyes had long lashes, his nose was prominent, and his lips? … goodness, it was so yummy like a freshly picked apple. I blushed at what I was thinking.

I sighed, maybe Danica was right; I could sometimes be a harlot. I smiled mischievously and tried to drag the man on the couch. I never felt any fear of the man, so I followed my guts and belief that he was a good man.

After finishing everything, I tried waking up the man, but he dared not open his eyes. As I could not leave him on the couch, I put his right arm on my shoulders, encircled my arm around his waist, and took him to our staffroom or quarter.

I sat behind the wall inside our staffroom to guard the man. His soft snooring filled the four corners of the room. I smiled as I gazed at his handsome face.

I was smiling like an i***t looking at him when he suddenly opened his eyes and glared at me, with his forehead furrowed.

“Ey, sorry, I was just…err, checking if you are awake already,” I stammered as I tried to explain.

He stood up and looked at me again and then stretched out his right hand. “Come with me and marry me,” he said seriously. I stared back at him, thinking that he was such a madman.